The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Proteoglycans is a well-subscribed meeting that presents high caliber unpublished data from field leaders and provides a very collegial atmosphere that fosters collaboration. The conference has been held biennially since 1984 and has an outstanding reputation. This current application is requesting partial support for the next conference, ?Proteoglycans in Homeostasis and Disease: Cracking the PG Code?, which will be held during July 8-13, 2018 at Proctor Academy, Andover, NH. The planned conference program is composed of invited speakers chosen by a scientific organizing committee that includes former Proteoglycan GRC Chairs with input from other investigators who have substantial expertise across this broad research area. In addition to bringing together highly accomplished, renowned proteoglycan research scientists, some of whom will have not attended this GRC previously, the conference provides a forum for early stage investigators to present their work in poster sessions and short talks, where the latter are selected to be complementary to the session themes. Our aim is that the program will cover the latest research at the forefront of the proteoglycan field and provide opportunities for career development within our community. The extended discussion times, group meals and social events give attendees ample opportunity to discuss the specific ?state of the art? within their branch of the proteoglycan field, learn of novel research tools, and establish new collaborations.. At the 2018 conference, there will be coverage of the role of proteoglycans in the development, homeostasis and pathology of bone, muscle, tendon and intervertebral disc. Other topics of high relevance to musculoskeletal research will be included, such as aging, autophagy, cell signaling, fibrosis, inflammation, metabolism and oxidative stress. These areas will also be discussed in the contexts of cancer, cardiovascular disease, host-pathogen interactions, lysosomal storage disorders and neuronal biology. The conference will additionally feature newly developed tools and technologies for proteoglycan research, and the development of proteoglycans as therapeutics and in tissue engineering approaches. The Proteoglycan GRC strives to be inclusive, typically achieving a near equal balance of male and female delegates and showcasing scientists from throughout the world.. Attendees will be selected by invitation or from the applications submitted online and will be chosen to comprise a diverse set of researchers, . Additionally in 2018 we will add a Power Hour for discussion of gender issues/ impediments that exist in scientific career development.